Evaluation of the Integration of Bike Routes to the Rail Transport System in Zeytinburnu District

Abstract

The rapid change and transformation of socioeconomic activity in cities, the rapid increase of the population, and the growth of the physical environment bring many problems. One of these problems is the increasing demand for transportation by the increased population.  Increased use of individual vehicles, traffic congestion, noise and air pollution, as well as environmental problems adversely, affect urban accessibility, quality of life and social health. Public transport has gained in importance in order to provide access within the city, and other means of transport should be integrated into this system. To achieve that, different solutions, such as bicycle rental systems, bicycle paths and stops, have been produced to promote and integrate bicycles as a sustainable means of transportation. In this study, spatial sequence-based analyses were used to determine the correct route for the integration of bicycle use in the city as public transport vehicles. ISBIKE bicycle rental system has been designed in order to solve the transportation problem and encourage the use of bicycles in Istanbul. In this study, the sample of Zeytinburnu, the pilot region of the studies aimed at increasing the use of bicycles as an alternative to transportation and integrated with transportation as well as the use of bicycles for physical activity and recreational purposes, was examined.

Our research method consists of empirical and computational methods using a mixed-method approach. In this study, a spatial analysis of Zeytinburnu district has been undertaken, and transportation data have been obtained from IBB (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality). Starting and ending points were determined and cycling routes between stops were drawn. In order to experience the routes, driving action was carried out with independent bicycle users, and a questionnaire and interview application was conducted to evaluate the driving experiences. Afterwards, the route evaluation chart was established and superposed with real-life rent data. In this study, space syntax analysis, which analyzes the physical structure of the city, evaluates the behaviours of the bicycle user on the part of the city and develops suggestions for urban planning strategies for the suitability of bicycle use.